KCBS-Channel 2 reports today, and KCAL-Channel 9 reported Tuesday, on a study in which a team of UCLA researchers genetically engineered human stem cells to attack HIV-infected cells in a living organism. Scott Kitchen, adjunct assistant professor of hematology–oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a member of the UCLA AIDS Institute, was interviewed.

Lifelong Learning With iTunes U

UCLA evolutionary biologist John Phelan was interviewed Monday on KTLA-Channel 5 about iTunes U, which offers the public access to recordings of a variety of college courses and lectures.

Drones to Dominate Stratosphere

John Villasenor, professor of electrical engineering at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, was interviewed Tuesday on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” about drone-aircraft surveillance in the United States and its the potential impact on privacy.

Debate Over Science Behind Online Dating

Business Insider and Jezebel reported Tuesday on research by Benjamin Karney, professor of psychology and co-director of the Relationship Institute at UCLA, and colleagues suggesting that the "matching algorithms" used by many online dating sites are not scientifically valid.

Keeping 'Flaws' Despite Cosmetic Surgery

An article in today's Philadelphia Inquirer about a growing number of cosmetic surgery patients opting to preserve certain physical "quirks" cites research by Dahlia Zaidel, adjunct professor of psychiatry and a researcher with UCLA’s Brain Research Institute, showing that people tend to find asymmetrical faces more beautiful than perfectly symmetrical ones. Zaidel is quoted.

Is Welfare Ripe for Abuse?

Mark Sawyer, associate professor of political science and director of UCLA's Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity and Politics, was interviewed Tuesday on Fox News' “O’Reilly Factor” about poverty and the welfare system in the United States.

World's Largest Brain Study IDs Key Genes

Research by UCLA scientists and colleagues aimed at identifying human genes that correlate to a bigger brain and higher IQ was highlighted today by Medscape and PsychCentral and Tuesday by KPCC-89.3 FM’s “Madeleine Brand Show.” Paul Thompson, professor of neurology and a member of the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was quoted in the articles and interviewed on KPCC..

Early Surgery Can Help End Seizures

KABC-Channel 7 reported Tuesday on a study by Dr. Jerome Engel, professor of neurology and neurobiology and director of the UCLA Seizure Disorder Center, indicating that early surgical intervention can help prevent seizures and improve quality of life for people with drug-resistant epilepsy. Engel was interviewed.

James Gelvin, UCLA professor of history, was interviewed Tuesday on KPFK-90.7 FM’s “Background Briefing With Ian Masters” about his new book, “The Arab Uprisings: What Everyone Needs to Know.”

Most Medi-Cal Caregivers Face Poverty

KCRW-89.9 FM reported Tuesday on a study by UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research that found that the majority of California’s Medi-Cal caregivers earn poverty or near-poverty wages and have poor access to health care.

Men Seem Bigger With Finger on Trigger

Fox News' "Red Eye" reported today on a study led by Daniel Fessler, UCLA associate professor of anthropology, in which subjects gauged the size and muscularity of men based solely on photographs of their hands holding easily recognizable objects, including guns.

QUOTABLE:

Dr. Gregg Fonarow

Fonarow, UCLA's Eliot Corday Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Science and director of the Ahmanson–UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center, was quoted Tuesday in a HealthDay News article about research on how testosterone supplements may give heart-failure patients the energy to exercise.

Namhee Lee

Lee, associate professor of modern Korean history and a scholar at the UCLA Center for Korean Studies, is quoted today in a Los Angeles Times article about a conductor who hopes to use music to reestablish cultural ties between North Korea and South Korea.

Dr. Andrew Leuchter

Leuchter, professor of psychiatry and director of the Laboratory of Brain, Behavior, and Pharmacology at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, was quoted Tuesday in a Los Angeles Times article about research suggesting that depression can be diagnosed with a blood test.

Gary Orfield

Orfield, professor of education and director of the Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA, was quoted Monday in a Los Angeles Times article about a proposal before the Los Angeles Unified School District to lower the requirements for high school graduation.